Whilst sorting through some of my recipes that I have collected over time I found this vegetarian lasagne which I thought looked wonderful.
My husband is not a huge vegetarian fan, but I decided to make it just the same.
I wanted to use gluten free pasta as my son prefers this option. I found a recipe using gluten free plain flour and decided to give it a go. Although the recipe states that the dough needs to be very wet, I found it just a little too wet to deal with. I will certainly try this again but with a little less liquid.
I do have a pasta machine which made the rolling out much easier, although being quite wet it took a lot of rolling through the machine until it was the right consistency. This can also be done without a machine.
The mixture of ricotta cheese and spinach are a great combination. I think next time I might also add a little grated parmesan to the mix. Also with the tomato base I added a little of my homemade spicy tomato sauce, and I think I will add a little more next time also.
Once you have layered the pasta sheets and ricotta/spinach mixture you cover the top with the remaining tomato and then the grated mozzarella cheese. Again I added a little of my homemade tomato sauce on top of the pasta sheets before topping with the rest of the tomatoes.
I was really surprised how this cut evenly with the gluten free lasagne sheets and it tasted lovely. Even my husband was happy with the result, although he did add a little more of my homemade tomato sauce.
I think the one thing that was missing from the recipe was salt. I would definitely add this the next time around as well as a little parmesan cheese to the mixture.
Otherwise the combination was great, and I definitely enjoyed the gluten free pasta.
Whilst writing this post I have just consumed the left-over piece of lasagne which I heated up in the microwave – Yum Yum!
H

- 1-1/2 cups gluten-free plain flour (I used Orgran)
- 1 extra-large egg plus 1 egg yolk (at room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 95ml water - may need more
- 1 x 250g pack frozen spinach
- 400g ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 egg white (I used the one from making the lasagne)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2-3 crushed garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (I used fresh as I didn't have dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese grated
- 1 can tomatoes diced (or tomato passata)
- Homemade gluten free lasagne sheets
- Optional: Homemade tomato sauce and some parmesan cheese grated
- Put flour in a large bowl and create a well in the centre.
- Add the eggs and oil and mix to combine.
- Add the water and mix until the dough comes together. The dough should be wet but not sticky.
- If not add more water by the tablespoon and mix.
- It is important that the mix is wet so you can add flour as you go.
- Get the dough together and add a tablespoon of flour on top and knead this into the dough until you can handle a ball of dough without getting sticky.
- Cut off a piece (about the size of a mandarin) and dust with flour, and roll to approximately 1/4" thick in a rectangle.
- Dust both sides with flour and pass through pasta machine set at "0".
- When dough comes out of the machine, dust again with flour and pass through once again.
- If the dough sticks together or has holes in it, dust with flour and fold in half, dust again with flour and pass through machine once again.
- Dust with flour on both sides and pass through pasta machine set at "1".
- Cut dough into two pieces and set one piece aside.
- Dust with flour on both sides of one piece of dough and pass through machine set at "2".
- Dust with flour on both sides and pass through machine set at "3" to "4" until thickness you like.
- Repeat with other piece of dough.
- Continue this way with remainder of mix until all dough has been used.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F 160˚C and coat a 20cm square (8" x 8") tin or baking dish with oil.
- Cook spinach (as per pack instructions) and drain well (I squeeze this out), set aside.
- In a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, egg, egg white, pepper, garlic, basil and oregano.
- Add spinach and mix thoroughly.
- Cover bottom of dish with 1/4 of diced tomato (or can use tomato passata in a jar).
- Cover with gluten free lasagne sheets.
- Top with half of the spinach/ricotta mix.
- Another layer of gluten free lasagne sheets.
- Put on remaining spinach/ricotta mixture.
- Another layer of gluten free lasagne sheets.
- Top with remaining tomatoes.
- Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over tomato.
- Bake for about 30 - 40 minutes.
- If you don't own a pasta machine you can still make this dough but roll out by hand.
- You can dry the pasta sheets for later use (leave it on towels) or use straight away.
- You can cut this into linguini or any other shape you like.
- I would suggest adding some salt to the mixture.
- I also think a little grated parmesan would be nice.